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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — We Energies has filed for regulatory permission to build a $255 million biomass power plant near Wausau.
In its application to the state Public Service Commission, the utility says the plant would supply steam to Domtar's paper mill in Rothschild and create up to 150 jobs.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina's highest court on Monday overturned an $18 million verdict againstFord Motor Co. in a fatal crash, ruling that one expert shouldn't have been allowed to testify about cruise control problems.
Sonya Watson, 17, was paralyzed after losing control of her Ford Explorer in December 1999.

FREMONT, Calif. (AP) — The United Auto Workers union has reached a tentative agreement to shut down California's sole remaining auto plant which employs 4,600 people.
The terms weren't disclosed Monday but will include payouts for workers at the Fremont-based Nummi plantwhich is slated to close on April 1.

I guess there’s not much to defend, really. Kraft made an offer; Cadbury accepted. The once-British company is soon to join the ranks of the American food giant. And because Cadbury shareholders voted to approve the takeover bid, defending Cadbury would mean defending it against itself.

Sioux Corporation (Beresford, SD) has redesigned its EN-Series All-Electric line of hot water pressure washers and steam cleaners. The all-electric series now incorporates a more compact frame: the non-explosion proof units have a minimum 43 percent reduction in volume, while the explosion proof units have been reduced by at least 30 percent.

Binder-USA (Camarillo, CA) now offers a new torque wrench for its 7/8” Series 820 connectors. The tool is designed to connect and disconnect field-attachable cable connectors with hex-shaped locking nuts. The wrench ensures the correct torque value and guarantees an IP67-rated connection.

New Pig Corporation (Tipton, PA) introduces the tough PIG® RHINO™ Absorbent Mat, designed to stand up to heavy foot traffic while soaking up liquid and minimizing slips. Features include:
A thermally bonded, spunbond polypropylene top layer with zig-zag stitching to enhance strength and resist wear and tear.

Atlas Copco (Antwerp, Belgium) announces its new technology for air blowing applications: the ZS screw blower, which will replace the company’s entire range of rotary lobe blowers. The screw blower can be used in food and beverage, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, textiles, and other general manufacturing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — China is once again the country Congress loves to hate.
After a lull last year, U.S. politicians jockeying ahead of crucial November elections have stepped up attacks on China as a way to win support from voters worried that the Asian power is taking American jobs.
China-bashing eased during President Barack Obama's first year in office, partly as a nod to the administration's attempts to get Chinese help settling nuclear standoffs with North Korea and Iran, and on important environmental and economic initiatives.

BEIJING (AP) — Foreign direct investment in China rose at its slowest rate in seven months in February, the Commerce Ministry reported Monday.
Investment for February was $6 billion, up 1.1 percent from a year earlier, a period in the depths of the global crisis.
Many companies closed in February for the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday, which distorts economic data.

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota and three other Japanese automakers together with a power company have set up a group to promote electric vehicles by standardizing recharging machines and marketing the technology abroad.
Representatives of Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Mitsubishi Motors Corp.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government said Monday it cannot explain a reported incident of sudden, high-speed acceleration in a Toyota Prius on a San Diego, Calif., freeway last week.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that it continues to investigate but "we may never know exactly what happened with this car.

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Paul Goulet hopes Connecticut will help him get from under nearly $8,000 he's borrowed for college after losing his job in a paper manufacturing plant.
Goulet, 55, is a student in environmental studies at Goodwin College in East Hartford, aiming to find work in wastewater treatment.

BEIJING (AP) — At least 94 people living near a lead factory, most of them children, have tested positive for lead poisoning, state media said Monday, prompting authorities to order the closure of the plant. Hundreds more people are still waiting for test results.
Reports of lead poisoning have emerged around the country since last year, highlighting the heavy environmental cost of China's rapid economic development.

James MacPherson, Associated Press Writer
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota's only oil refinery is planning a monthlong shutdown for maintenance and upgrades beginning next month though officials say customers should not see any fuel shortages or price increases.
The planned $125 million project at Tesoro Petroleum Corp.

Many HVAC manufacturers and distributors may not realize that hundreds of thousands of coil failures have occurred during the last decade from corrosion. The cause is most typically environmental pollutants, which range anywhere from salt-air, to household cleaning agents, pesticides, formaldehydes, building materials, and even off-gassing of food.

So what’s the holdup, you ask? And rightfully so. Lawmakers have been hailing the environmental revolution as the way out of this deep pit called an economic recovery, but have yet to sign anything that would toss a ladder into the deep hole to offer a few folks a glimpse of light.

For a limited time, customers who purchase a new WIDIA (Latrobe, PA) solid-carbide drill are eligible for a free drill reconditioning. Select WIDIA, WIDIA-Hanita, and WIDIA-Rubig tools are covered under the program. For more information on the offer, or to take a look at WIDIA’s new 800-page Solid Endmills and Holemaking Master Catalog , visit www.

The BANTAM Mini Compression Springs from Lee Spring (Brooklyn, NY) are a response to the need for miniature stock springs that combine strength and corrosion resistance. The springs start at a wire diameter of 0.004”, slightly thicker than a human hair, and range up to 0.